In minutes, Lupita returned. She didn’t look happy, but she didn’t look as if she’d just been chewed out either. It was more a look of disapproval, and if I wasn’t mistaken, it wasn’t directed at me, which meant she was miffy with the boss man. Interesting.

“He isn’t available,” she said.

“For the moment or the entire day?” I asked. “Because I can come back later.”

She sighed. “For the duration of your stay, I’m afraid.”

My eyes went wide. “He said that?”

She nodded.

“But my lease is for six months!”

Again, she nodded.

“He’s really planning to avoid me for six months,” I said. “Does that even seem possible?”

“Mr. Daire can be very . . . determined,” she said. I sensed she’d revised on the fly what she really wanted to say.

I met her gaze. “So can I.”

A slow smile curved her lips and made her eyes sparkle. “That’s what I was hoping. I think you might be just what he needs.”

I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but I handed her my response and asked, “Would you please give him this message?”

“Of course,” she said. “Happy to. It’ll give him something else to think about.”

“Thanks,” I said. I stepped back and glanced up at the large windows on the second floor. The drapes twitched back into place.

That did it. Mr. Daire could try to avoid me for the entirety of my stay, but I was going to meet him one way or another. I waved to Mrs. Guzman as I walked down the steps and set out in the direction of the guest house.

Questions. I had so many questions, it felt as if my brain were on fire. Was it just me? Or was Daire like this with everyone? I wanted to ask Miguel and Sophie, but given their insistence that I keep my distance, I didn’t want them to know that Daire and I were having issues and were struggling to communicate.

Well, I was struggling. He seemed just fine with the chastising notes and such. Me, not so much. I simply had to meet him, break through his self-imposed isolation, and make him be my friend. Newly determined, I glanced over my shoulder back at the house one more time.

This time I saw a man in the window, watching me. Surprised, I stumbled to a halt. Staring at me from the second-story window was the most breathtakingly beautiful man I’d ever seen.

11

I had barely registered his high cheekbones, square jaw, full lips, arching eyebrows, and piercing gaze when the drapes snapped shut and he disappeared from view.